Michele Mari has won the 2026 Strega Prize with “I convitati di pietra”
Michele Mari has won the 80th edition of the Strega Prize with his novel “I convitati di pietra”, published by our publishing house, Einaudi.
When the demon of competition and the mirage of a fabulous prize are involved, the variables multiply. And so, an agreement born almost as a joke transforms into a no-holds-barred challenge to stay alive for as long as possible. The book, already the winner of the 2026 Strega Giovani Prize, is a touching and playful novel that reveals, with wicked amusement, the urges hidden within friendship.
Because in this story, before an unpredictable finale, the opposite of the proverb holds true: he who loses a friend finds a treasure.
Congratulations also to Teresa Ciabatti with the book “Donnaregina” (Mondadori) and to Alcide Pierantozzi with the book “Lo sbilico” (Einaudi) for making the final six.
When the demon of competition and the mirage of a fabulous prize are involved, the variables multiply. And so, an agreement born almost as a joke transforms into a no-holds-barred challenge to stay alive for as long as possible. The book, already the winner of the 2026 Strega Giovani Prize, is a touching and playful novel that reveals, with wicked amusement, the urges hidden within friendship.
Because in this story, before an unpredictable finale, the opposite of the proverb holds true: he who loses a friend finds a treasure.
Congratulations also to Teresa Ciabatti with the book “Donnaregina” (Mondadori) and to Alcide Pierantozzi with the book “Lo sbilico” (Einaudi) for making the final six.